The Wizards will probably continue to target positional size and youth if they do not get a top two pick.
The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery will not be until Monday. But in the meantime, there are reports on how the Washington Wizards plan on handling the draft process, depending on where the lottery results go.
According to Jeremy Woo of ESPN, the Wizards are keen on picking Duke forward Cooper Flagg at No. 1 or Rutgers guard Dylan Harper at No. 2. But if they do not get a Top 2 selection, Washington would likely continue building with positional size and youth. Here is the quote from Woo’s piece.
The Wizards stand out as a particularly interesting landing spot for Flagg, who would form a strong defensive backbone with Sarr and have the opportunity to stretch himself offensively in Washington, as well. There are also big fans of Harper in this front office, and the Rutgers guard would give the Wizards a lead playmaker worth building their offense around.
Washington remains committed to its long-haul process and will likely play the lottery again next year, positioning the Wizards to keep taking big swings atop the draft. If their 2024 draft class was any indicator, the Wizards are highly valuing positional size and targeting young players with strong feel. If they don’t end up with a top-two pick, those criteria will still guide what direction they go.
Even if the Wizards do get the No. 1 pick this year, that doesn’t mean that Flagg will get Washington to at least the play-in round. If anything, they will still likely be lottery bound, not unlike the San Antonio Spurs the last two seasons with promising forward Victor Wembanyama. But still, I won’t lie. I’d like a No. 1 overall pick this year to jumpstart this rebuild.
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